The 2013 Dallas Cowboys schedule is out and I am all atwitter. I can hear in the distance the pitter-patter of not-so-itty bitty feet. A new season will soon be born. Oh, glorious day!

I am not yet ready to roll out season predictions, mainly because free agency and the NFL draft have yet to be played out. So, don’t get pushy.

We still do not know who is going to be where doing what in some cases. Right tackle and interior offensive line positions still have to be worked out. Let’s say the Cowboys do bring in Eric Winston and set Doug Free free. Could that be good for an extra win? Suppose they draft a stud at the guard or safety position and he makes an immediate impact. Could that be the difference in a 10-6 season versus another 8-8 campaign?

Who knows?

So, let’s save the prognostications for another day and move on to pontifications and declarations and aberrations.

2013 NFL schedule favors your Heroes

Let’s have a peek at that Cowboys’ schedule, shall we?

Sunday Sep 8th NY Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

Sunday Sep 15th Cowboys @ KC Chiefs

Sunday Sep 22nd Rams @ Cowboys

Sunday Sep 29th Cowboys @ Chargers

Sunday Oct 6th Broncos @ Cowboys

Sunday Oct 13th Redskins @ Cowboys

Sunday Oct 20th Cowboys @ Eagles

Sunday Oct 27th Cowboys @ Lions

Sunday Nov 3rd Vikings @ Cowboys

Sunday Nov 10th Cowboys @ Saints

Sunday Nov 24th Cowboys @ NY Giants

Thursday Nov 28th Raiders @ Cowboys

Monday Dec 9th Cowboys @ Bears

Sunday Dec 15th Packers @ Cowboys

Sunday Dec 22nd Cowboys @ Redskins

Sunday Dec 29th Eagles @ Cowboys

Notes of Interest

Cowboys opening and closing the season at home.

Cowboys vs. Giants kicking off Sunday Night Football on NBC.

Inter-divisional games vs. NFC North

Inter-conference games vs. AFC West

Additional NFC opponents: Saints and Rams

Reasons for optimism

AFC West should be one of the weaker NFL divisions with the exception of the Denver Broncos.

Starting and ending the season at home could be critical, if the Cowboys can finally gain an actual home field advantage over the pesky Giants and Eli Manning.

NFC East should be ripe for the taking. The Redskins may actually be the team to beat, if RGIII can come back from his injury with no repercussions and stay healthy. The Eagles have to adjust to a new head coach and the Giants may need to reload, if not rebuild.

Tony Romo should be motivated to prove himself worthy of a top ten NFL contract and shut the mouths of his very vocal critics once and for all.

Team leadership is cognizant that the Romo-Ware-Witten window is closing. The clock is kicking on these careers.

32 teams and their fans enter an NFL season with high hopes and dreams of glorious conquests. Dallas is no different. Despite nearly 20 years of mediocrity, the Cowboys’ fan base remains strong, proud and expectant. 2013 will be no different.

The 2013 schedule seems to set up nicely for the Cowboys to finally break free of the mediocre rut and make a playoff run:

The 2012 non-playoff team that has perhaps the best chance of advancing deep into the postseason this year is the Dallas Cowboys. Returning a relatively strong roster, the Cowboys face just one of NFL’s top-five powerhouses. It can be argued fairly that every game on their schedule is winnable.

But if 2013 is not a successful campaign, if it ends in another 8-8 season or worse, expect an explosive response from the fans and the team’s owner. Jerry Jones will never fire himself, but he may fire everyone else.

Gene has been an avid Dallas Cowboys fan for nearly five decades, which amounts to just about his entire life. The only time he was not a Cowboys fan was that brief period at the beginning of his life, when he didn't have all his baby teeth and could not yet say "Cowboys." As soon as quit slobbering, he started hollering, "Go Cowboys!"